Sunday, 22 June 2014

Studley Royal and the Valley of the Seven Bridges

To take up exactly where I left off at the end of my previous post, let me show you now the final pictures of the walk my sister and I took, starting in Ripon, walking to Fountains Abbey, back through Studley Royal with a little detour to Seven Bridges Valley, and back to Ripon (altogether somewhere around 8 or 9 miles, so nothing too strenuous).

When I came here last year, I walked along the other side of the canal. I remember a plaque there that informed visitors that this stone monument had been rediscovered very recently, and that, even after having consulted all the old maps and plans they had, the National Trust people did not know what this place actually was for or what the meaning of the monument was.

We saw many rabbits near the dense hedges, but they were far too quick for my camera most of the time.

The building you can see at the top end of the lake is a tea shop. We've had some nice teas, coffees and cakes in there in the past, but not this time.

Below is the first of the seven bridges in the Valley of the Seven Bridges. If you like, have a look at last year's post
and compare what it looked like then, during that very hot and dry period in July.

We did not leave the park at the gates at the end of the valley, but went back on to the main road until a grassy path (well visible if you know it is there) leads off from it and to a less known gate in the wall.

Through the gate, you reach apath leading to Studley Roger, and from there, we went back the same way we had come.

It had been a great day out, and by the time we were back at our cottage, we were both ready for a meal.

My next - short - post will explain why you'll have to wait a while until I'll be back with more from our holiday in Yorkshire.

9 comments:

Oh, lovely. Looking at the middle photos in this post reminded me of why I like the countryside around Yorkshire. As a teenager I lived near Sheffield and we used to go out hiking in the Yorkshire countryside. I've often returned since but not for a while, I realise....

So beautiful! And I am so glad that you can walk 8 or 9 miles and it is easy for you! I think perhaps 6 or 7 miles is my limit, but I might could walk more if I am very interested in what I am viewing on my walk!

It wasn't very demanding terrain, Kay, and we took several breaks with refreshments. But walking in general is really something I can do for hours without tiring much. Crucial is that I can go at my own pace, not slower (which wears me out) or faster (which I have not tried yet) than I would normally walk.

That is something I love doing very much - going back to the same place at a different time of year, or day, and seeing how it changes with the seasons. A truly beautiful place is never boring, no matter how many times I go there.